Barry McStay
Barry is an actor and writer from Co. Kildare, with bases in London and Dublin.
A graduate of East 15 Acting School and Trinity College Dublin, his screen work includes Eastenders (BBC) and A Christmas Ghost Story: Count Magnus (BBC, dir. Mark Gatiss). He co-starred in his own short film One More (Soft Stix), which was selected for several festivals in 2024 including the BAFTA-qualifiying Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
Barry's most recent stage work was as Eoin in his own play Breeding (King’s Head Theatre, in association with Mark Gatiss), a moving, funny story of queer parenting, adoption and loss, which received an Off-West End Award nomination 2024. Elsewhere, he has played the likes of Sebastien in Twelfth Night (Brighton Fringe) and Mercutio and Paris in Romeo and Juliet (Rosemary Branch Theatre) as well as working at venues like the Yard, the Bunker and at the Edinburgh Festival.
Barry is a highly skilled improviser and immersive theatre performer, playing the role of Sgt. Robert Dudley and Cyberman in the groundbreaking Doctor Who: Time Fracture (Immersive Everywhere). He is currently a main cast member of The Traitors: Live Experience (Immersive Everywhere) and the acclaimed Phantom Peak (The League of Adventure).
Barry is also an award-winning playwright. His debut play Our Island (dir. Maisie Lee, Dublin Fringe 2015) ran at the Project Arts Centre and was shortlisted for 5 Dublin Fringe Awards and a Writers Guild of Ireland Award. Other work includes: Vespertilio (VAULT Festival and Dublin Fringe 2019; Kings Head Theatre 2021); The First (VAULT Festival 2020), Bir Tawil (Druid Debuts, 2017) and Breeding (King’s Head Theatre, 2023/24). In 2018 he wrote The Light for Fishamble’s A Play For Ireland scheme and Come On You Boys In Green was one of Fishamble’s 10 Tiny Plays For A Brighter Future in 2021. He has been longlisted for the Papatango, Theatre 503 and Bruntwood Playwriting awards and his plays are published by Samuel French for Concord Theatrical.
For any queries relating to Barry, please contact Hannah at hannah.thespaceactors@gmail.com